Clark Construction Inc. of Bainbridge Island received two awards for excellence and leadership in the construction industry at the Procore 2023 Groundbreaker Awards in Chicago Sept. 19-20.

Clark won the General Contractor Project Excellence and the Groundbreaker of the Year awards out of the 27 companies, projects and individuals that were finalists.

The Project Excellence award went to Clark for its work building the reHOME sustainability project that diverted more than 26,000 pounds of materials from the landfill during demolition of the Harrison Medical Center to create affordable housing for interns at Morales Farm. By partnering with skilled trades professionals, the community built three tiny homes from repurposed construction waste materials. The demolition took place to make room for BI’s new police-court station.

Once repurposed materials were on location it was a challenge. “It was a jigsaw puzzle to figure out how to use the materials on these buildings while staying as true as we could to the original architectural designs. We had corrugated metal from an old barn and donated countertops and bathroom fixtures from a local medical facility that was going through a demo and renovation at the same time,” said Ashley Oaksmith, development manager for Clark.

The project demonstrated that thoughtful design and materials sourcing of construction waste can create affordable housing.

Procore selected the project because it was unique. “Sometimes, it’s not the biggest project that has the most significant impact. For Clark Construction Inc (CCI), contributions to a special project for their local community has set a precedent for sustainability, reducing construction waste and providing affordable housing,” Procore said.

Clark’s CEO, Casey French, was named Groundbreaker of the Year for embodying professional performance and exemplifying the highest standards in the industry.

Procore recognized French for “Taking the helm of a female-founded, employee-owned company, and after coming up in the trades and holding a variety of positions, French understood the importance of creating an environment that honors the contributions of both the field and the office…French doesn’t let the hard work on every job site go unnoticed. French also champions digital transformation…framing CCI as an attractive place to work for tech-savvy young talent looking to break into construction.”